Daily Archives: March 10, 2017

239. It is foolish to think that the facts of a matter will force a person to make a decision. People make most decisions with their emotions and later attempt to justify their decisions with logic reasons.

With our hectic lifestyles, it’s incredibly common to feel a dip in concentration at work.

Research has shown that when we’re not concentrating, our brain ‘turns off’.

Spending too long switched off could lead to premature ageing and early-onset dementia.

But by making small changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can make a real difference to your brain power in just one week.

Nutritionist Amy Morris offers seven easy steps you can follow to perform at your best everyday.

1. EAT BREAKFAST EVERYDAY

Eating breakfast daily can help to improve short term memory and attention span, with several studies showing that students who eat breakfast tend to perform better overall than those who skip it.

Additionally, research has shown that those who eat breakfast also tend to eat a healthier diet, with more fiber and micronutrients.

On the other hand, people who skip breakfast tend to smoke more, drink more alcohol, and exercise less.

Morris says a good breakfast should ideally include a little food from all three of the macronutrient groups: protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and ideally the foods should be minimally processed.

2. DRINK MATCHA GREEN TEA INSTEAD OF COFFEE

Morris recommends replacing your morning coffee with the popular Asian powder used to make tea and other drinks.

Matcha will still give you a caffeine fix, which can help to energize and improve concentration. But, unlike your normal morning coffee, matcha will also give you a good dose of antioxidants that are known for helping to protect cells and DNA from damage.

Matcha also contains a good amount of the amino acid L-Theanine, and can eliminate the negative effects of caffeine such as jitteriness.

3. EAT MORE NUTS

Nuts and seeds are a good source of vitamin E, which has been linked in some studies to less cognitive decline as you age. A 2012 study found that walnuts in particular can help reverse some forms of age-related brain deterioration

Morris recommends using chia pods as a way to get extra vitamin E from seeds.

These seeds or a handful of pecans, cashews and almonds, slightly ground in your blender first, can top your morning cereal or porridge.

Additionally, unsalted nuts make an excellent mid-morning snack.

4. DRINK MORE WATER

A lack of water in the body means lack of water to the brain. This deficiency can lead to poor concentration, lack of focus, headaches, depression, and forgetfulness.

The best water to drink is purified water that is as free from chemicals and contaminants as possible. The European Food Safety Authority recommends that men drink 2.5 liters of water per day, and women drink two liters.

But this may need to be increased if you exercise a lot or have a very physically demanding job.

5. EAT MORE OILY FISH

Several studies have shown that supplementing your diet with Omega-3 fish oil can boost concentration due to its ability to help increase blood flow to the brain during mental activity.

A 2011 study found that Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, such as salmon, and seafood, can boost memory function by 15 percent. A diet with the fatty acid had also been linked to a lowered risk of dementia and strokes, and can slow down mental decline

6. MEDITATE TO DE-STRESS

A recent study found that people who meditate intensively had better attention and sustained focus, even during the most mundane of tasks.

But good news if you don’t fancy becoming a yogi anytime soon, previous research from the University of North Carolina also found that meditating for as little as 20 minutes a day, over just four days, can be enough to improve cognitive skills.

In one test, where students were given a particularly challenging computer test of sustained attention, the ones who had meditated performed 10 times better than the control group.

Meditation has also been found to reduce stress and increase happiness – both contributing to a healthier brain.

7. GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

When measuring sleepiness, scientists found that people with sleep deprivation had lower alertness and concentration.

Sleep serves to reenergize the body’s cells, clear waste from the brain, and support learning and memory.

Research has found that getting between seven and eight hours of sleep per night is ideal. Any less and people start to suffer from mood problems and have difficulty concentrating.

Everyday you make a thousand choices. You choose what to wear, where to go, who to meet, what to eat and what to do. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, YOU decide WHAT TO THINK. One thing is sure and that is that your day will not be better than your thoughts. ...................
Just close your eyes for a moment and see if you can visualise this open toolbox and if you can see the hundreds of tools that are neatly placed in this toolbox. Now look if you can see the maker’s name on these tools. The creator of these tools (thoughts and perceptions) is you. You created thousands of thoughts and perceptions (tools) about everything since your childhood. ..................
When confronted with any situation or problem you reach into this toolbox and take out what you think the most appropriate tool would be and then attempt to fix the problem. It is estimated that your mind thinks at least 2,500 thoughts an hour. Every thought that you think is a tool (perception) that you have that you imagine would work best under specific circumstances. This thought process continues day and night and will do so for the rest of your life. .....................................
I am convinced that we think ourselves to a standstill. We never stop playing with these tools in our toolbox and can hardly ever really relax for a while. If we are not faced with a problem or task that needs completion we still continue to take out these tools and mentally rehears and contemplate how we will use them should something that we fear become a reality. ............................
We are forever thinking and scheming and never become still and tranquil inside. Our bodies might seem relaxed, but deep inside our heads this thought process continues churning around. What I am most worried about is that most of the tools that you have in your toolbox are very old and outdated. .......................
Many of the opportunities, problems and obstructions that you face daily cannot be repaired while you are using old and outdated tools. If you take a modern mechanic’s toolbox and you place the toolbox of a mechanic of fifty years ago next to it you will find that there are major discrepancies. When you are confronted with something that needs repair and you do not have the right tool for the task at hand it can be very frustrating. We usually improvise and try using some other tools and hope that it will also get the job done. ........................
When you are faced with a problem you need to select the right tool for the task at hand. If you do not have the tool in your toolbox it can complicate your life. What most people seem to ignore is that it is sometimes better not to reach for your toolbox when faced with a problem. Sometimes you need time to pass or need to leave the problem with its rightful owner. How well you use your tools is usually reflected in the world you see around you. What would you do if you were faced with any or all of the following? .........................
You get a flat tire on your way to an important customer or meeting. You can fall apart, develop a migraine and think that life is against you or you can take out the right tools (patience and reality) and take care of the problem in a relaxed manner. ........................
You have been working on the computer for hours and suddenly lose all your work. You can drop dead with a heart attack; think that God hates you or you can take out the right tool (sanity and reality) and begin over and this time remember to make a backup of your work. ....................
A lover or wife possibly cheated on you. You can go crazy and get an assassin to take out the potential threat to your relationship, think that you are a failure or you can take out the right tool (no fear of loss) and get on with your life. .......................
When you have the right tools in your toolbox it makes life a lot easier. The choices we make are vital in our lives. The more quality choices we make during any given day the higher the probability of success and peace of mind. ................
I suggest that you equip your toolbox with the best tools you can lay your hands on. It is important to upgrade if you discover that one of your tools are outdated or that a more modern version is available. How would you react if your TV packed up and a technician that obviously knows very little about electronics arrived at your house with only a sledgehammer and a few other primitive tools in his toolbox? I am sure that you will send him away and find someone better qualified and equipped for the task. .....................
You might sometimes be like this incompetent and poorly equipped technician indicated above if you do not often update your tools (thoughts) in your toolbox. You can also have all the right tools in your toolbox and never use them because you are afraid that you might make a mistake. ..................
You must remember that happiness and success is always just one thought (tool) away. You should remember when you find it difficult to cope with something that one new tool (thought) could change your life. One fresh thought and one new idea can change your life from pain and suffering to success and peace of mind. ........................
You are today what you were programmed with yesterday. The choices that you make on a moment-to-moment basis decide your fate and future. You can never feel or perform better than the ongoing thoughts and feelings that you allow to occupy your mind! .......................
The mistake we make is that most of us live our lives on a reactive basis. We start and complete our day in a reactive state of being. Something comes to our attention via our five senses or via a thought in our mind. We automatically slip into the “role” that we created for ourselves many moons ago. We act, react and experience the same feelings and emotions that we embedded with our scrip at its inception. We do exactly the same when new stimuli push the previous “drama” off the stage in our minds. We sustain this reactive mode of thinking until we finally go to bed at night. Most of our days are made up of a tapestry of “roles” that we played in our own colorful way. It is important to understand that nothing is going to change until we do something different. We cannot repeat the same old recipes and expect a different outcome. ....................
You can use the “Portable Life Skills Wisdom” book to develop a range of appropriate scripts that you can use when you are faced with a problem or project that need your attention. You will if you apply the scripts in this book find that you no longer run your life on a reactive basis. The new scripts will help you to live your life in the moment. You will become more realistic. You will treat each event on its own merit. How do you do this? ......................
The Process ....................
Read the first message in your book. Write it down if at all possible. It will assist you to absorb the data provided. Now sit back and close your eyes and visualize how you will apply the specific message in the various areas of your life. See yourself on the screen of your mind using the message in all your day-to-day activities. It is important to attempt to feel and experience the benefits that this new mode of thinking will bring into your life. Do this for ten minutes. Then open your eyes and begin to apply the wisdom on all occasions where appropriate in your activities on that given day. ...........................
Proceed to do the same with second message etc. in your book tomorrow. You will upload almost a thousand powerful recipes if you sustain the process indicated above. You can in less than three years upload a powerful “tool” system that will serve you for the rest of your life. This can be a life changing experience if you apply it daily. You will discover that the ten minutes you invest daily will upload countless new strategies into your subconscious computer. Build a successful and happy life. The key however is action. You can have the best tools available to man and still fail if you don’t use them daily. Wishing you the very best with this endeavor. .............................
Daily Support System (This Blog) ................
You not only have the massive key ideas in the book that you can use when appropriate you also receive daily posts on a wide range of subjects that will expand this system to a level never offered before. Visit this blog daily for fresh new ideas with a sprinkle of historical wisdom that stood the test of time. ..........................
Rene